Before cars were a dependence and commuting was the norm, the neighborhood of Riverside formed its roots at the turn of the 20th century.

The streets were built narrow because cars were not commonplace. Now, canopy trees and winding roads make it difficult for large freight trucks to maneuver through. And many in Riverside say the area’s pedestrian friendly, rather than commuter friendly, structure is its best asset.

Like Riverside, some Jacksonville neighborhoods, particularly historic areas, are friendly to those on foot. Their “walkability” has benefits far beyond just being able to live without a car, said Dawn Emerick, president of The Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida.

“When a community is pedestrian friendly, air quality improves, exercise improves and [the neighborhoods] have great mental health outcomes,” Emerick said. “People are more likely to socialize and have social cohesion.”

A ranking of 50 major metropolitan cities by Walk Score, a website created to promote walkable neighborhoods, places Jacksonville 50th in its walkability, with a score of 32.6. Scores were based on the following criteria:

■ A main street or public space where people can gather.

■ A strong enough population to sustain local businesses.

■ Affordable housing near businesses.

■ Parks and public places that are abundant and flourish.

■ Public transportation.

■ Schools and workplaces that are close enough to walk to from home.

The areas with the lowest walk scores in Jacksonville are Mandarin, Mayport, Dinsmore, Oceanway and Jacksonville Naval Air Station. These areas lack the infrastructure of older neighborhoods, such as Riverside and San Marco, that make communities more pedestrian friendly.

To recognize Jacksonville-area neighborhoods that embrace pedestrian living, the Health Planning Council hosted the Hale and Hearty 7K run on June 1. Runners wore shirts with their neighborhood’s walk score. Emerick hopes this ignited a stronger conversation about the importance of walkability and the importance it holds for the future of Jacksonville.

“Millennials want to go to cities where there’s density,” Emerick said. “We have to be very mindful of that, because these millennials are the next generation of our economic development.”

Making areas more pedestrian friendly can be integrated into existing neighborhoods, as well as incorporated in future designs, Emerick said.

The Times-Union looked at Jacksonville’s most fit areas based on their walk scores, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines for healthy communities and the 2011 U.S. Census American Community Survey. Here are profiles of those with high scores and one up-and-coming community.

RIVERSIDE

Walk score: 73

Number of businesses: 798

Population: 28,225

Number of cars: 11,095

Number of parks: 6

In 2010, Riverside-Avondale was named as one of the country’s 10 Great Neighborhoods by the American Planning Association. Riverside is considered very pedestrian friendly because it has its own grocery store, shopping and restaurants in walking distance of most residents. It also has a hospital, St. Vincent’s Medical Center Riverside, as well as the weekly Riverside Arts Market.

Parking can be difficult, however, and can discourage commuters from visiting neighborhood businesses.

“Riverside was built deliberately for people, not for cars,” Emerick said. “But it’s also a sign of a struggle that these communities have.”

Although Riverside has the structure already in place for a walkable area, it also has made improvements to the neighborhood. Bicycle lanes are all marked, and the Riverside Avondale Preservation Society works to improve quality of life for the area, Emerick said.

DOWNTOWN JACKSONVILLE

Walk score: 78

Number of businesses: 1,525

Population: 6,373

Number of cars: 2,925

Number of parks: 8

Downtown has the highest walk score among all Jacksonville communities because of its structure, nearby restaurants and vendors.

Downtown Vision’s Art Walk attracts about 8,000 people every first Wednesday of the month, many local to downtown. About 30 percent of downtown’s residents are young professionals, according to the U.S. Census.

The area is continuing to build more residential spaces to accommodate a fresh set of residents, but downtown faces many obstacles before it can compare to the most walkable cities such as Portland and Greenville, S.C.

Some are wary of living downtown because of high crime and homelessness rates. Many buildings remain vacant. Jacksonville Transportation Authority recently discontinued its trolley service in the area.

But incentive packages to businesses to move downtown could have an effect on downtown occupancy, such as the one the Jacksonville City Council gave to SunGard AvantGard May 13 to move downtown and create more jobs in the area. The more jobs available in the neighborhood improves its chance of becoming more walkable, according to Walk Score.

SAN MARCO

Walk score: 76

Number of businesses: 1,728

Population: 33,306

Number of cars: 12,605

Number of parks: 14

San Marco is the second-most walkable neighborhood in Jacksonville, according to Walk Score. A central shopping district and numerous parks make the area attractive to pedestrians.

However, San Marco advocates are pushing to improve the pedestrian experience even further.

The Health Planning Council recently worked with the San Marco Preservation Society and the Jacksonville Planning and Development Department, as well as San Marco residents and business owners, to improve the design of the community.

One such change would be to narrow the neighborhood’s roads and sidewalks. Narrower roads are easier to travel on bicycle or by foot. In late April, Jacksonville City Council voted to create a new city board to review roadwork in areas such as San Marco.

“What you’re finding now is that there are local efforts in these sub communities like San Marco,” Emerick said. “Their preservation society said, ‘We need to have our own set of comprehensive zoning.’ That’s community activism.”

BRENTWOOD

Walk score: 57

Number of businesses: 422

Population: 6,618

Number of cars: 4,765

Number of parks: 2

Although Brentwood now has a low Walk Score, local health advocates are hopeful it will soon improve.

A local push, funded by a grant donated by Florida Blue called “Discovering Brentwood,” aims to fight childhood obesity by improving zoning and land development practices.

The Health Planning Council is currently working with Brentwood residents and business owners to create a health planning assessment.

“The area has some good advocacy, but people just don’t know how to get involved. But why can’t Brentwood [have a walk score] of 70 or above?” Emerick asked.

HOW COMMUNITIES RANK

The following are some of Jacksonville’s most populated neighborhoods with their rank and walk score.